kicad-developers team mailing list archive

[Dick Hollenbeck <dick@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Jean-Samuel,

Thanks very much for your willingness to help!

In answer to your question:

The wxPython project manager sketch up should concentrate on the user interface, not the
actual loading of the sub programs.  In fact, if it did not load the subprograms at all,
that would be acceptable.  The screen real-estate usage, and the icons and whatnot are
what's important for now.  You could create scaffolding to mark a project and a kiface as
being loaded, and test your UI code against that scaffolding, without ever loading any
projects or opening any child frames.

In milestone B) we are putting a top C++ API into the KIWAY, this is not designed yet.
You should not use the KIFACE from python, that was never intended.  Python will use the
KIWAY API, which in turn will manage the KIFACE's and projects using C++.

If you really really want to launch something, then encapsulate that python code into
something which will be replaced later, and simply load pcbnew.exe for now from that
disposable code.  This code will get swapped out later, in favor of the KIWAY API, which
will do the actuall loading of the *.kiface, again from C++.  This is necessary so that
the KIFACE to KIFACE comms can work for things like back annotation, and pcbnew<->eeschema
cross-probing, per project.


There's actually little value in loading executables or kiface's right now.  Folks will
use the C++ project manager until the user interface in the python project manager is
superior.  So please focus on the user interface, that's the value added stuff.

After milestone B) that's when we start to worry about loading the submodules (kifaces).


Thanks,

Dick



On 04/02/2014 11:23 AM, Jean-Samuel Reynaud wrote:
> Hi
> 
> As I understand, one of the feature of this new interface is to load directly from python
> the kiface interface (instead of just launch the program aka pcbnew/cvpcb for example).
> Is it right ?
> As I see, the function KIFACE_1 return a struct with inside all function to use (one of
> them is createwindow).
> Could you confirm it's the way you think about ?
> If yes, ctypes from python will help me and I think I'll fight with the structure
> definition inside python...
> 
> 
> Regards
> 
> 
> 
> 2014-04-01 15:47 GMT+02:00 Dick Hollenbeck <dick@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:dick@xxxxxxxxxxx>>:
> 
> 
>     In English there is a saying: "Competition breeds success."
> 
>     I would consider it a luxury to be able to choose [pieces] from multiple implementations.
>      Competition in this case is not exactly cruel and unusual punishment.  In fact it could
>     be an *awful lot of fun*, since wxPython is such a high level language and so much can be
>     done in so few lines of code.
> 
> 
>     You may either compete or collaborate.   I think we'll get more ideas if there is
>     competition.  After choices are made, you can continue to compete, improving, innovating
>     and serving your own needs, even if your code is not merged up to that point in time.
>     Repeat that last sentence.
> 
> 
>     Any implementation which does not meet the primary objective: "showing which projects are
>     open, among a larger set of project possibilities" will lose the competition.  (Even if
>     there is only one entry into the competition, *multiple* open projects is a mandate.)
>     Using screen real estate for a permanently visible directory tree may not be an optimal
>     pathway to achieving the objective.
> 
>     Some tips:
> 
>     a) the directory tree does not give sufficient emphasis on what constitutes a project.
> 
>     b) the directory tree does not give the ability to show several open projects without a
>     sea of rows of actual files in between.
> 
>     c) we need to be more project centric, less file centric.
> 
>     d) once projects have been defined, the user interface procedure to opening the schematic
>     or layout tools on any of those projects needs to be lean.
> 
>     e) I'm thinking the set of files that constitute a project can continue to reside in the
>     *.pro file.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>     On 04/01/2014 07:24 AM, dileep kushwaha wrote:
>     > Hi,
>     >      I have so far made the menubar for the wxPython. I now want to integrate the
>     > mainmenu.py to KiCAD instead of .cpp codes. I little hint and guidence will be great. I
>     > can send the code. Its ugly right now. i'll modify it according to guidlines after
>     > completing significant portion...(i see three .cpp files that will have to changed)
>     >
>     >
>     > On Tue, Apr 1, 2014 at 9:14 AM, dileep kushwaha <dilzverykool@xxxxxxxxx
>     <mailto:dilzverykool@xxxxxxxxx>
>     > <mailto:dilzverykool@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:dilzverykool@xxxxxxxxx>>> wrote:
>     >
>     >     Hi,
>     >          Please accept my apology for the delay from my side. I can give you few results
>     >     in maximum one week's time. I am able to make an exact replica of KiCAD window
>     that we
>     >     have right now. I was carried away and wanted the GUI to look pretty innovative.
>     I was
>     >     looking into the feasibility of an idea. The idea comes from a member who
>     proposed it
>     >     to have a game like GUI. I was thinking if right click would give list of options
>     >     surrounding it in circle. I think I will have to wait a little more to get
>     expertise.
>     >
>     >     I was shying away from showing my work. Apparently I will start uploading on the
>     >     branch by evening 6PM IST(Indian Standard Time)
>     >
>     >
>     >
>     >     On Tue, Apr 1, 2014 at 2:27 AM, Jean-Samuel Reynaud <js.reynaud@xxxxxxxxx
>     <mailto:js.reynaud@xxxxxxxxx>
>     >     <mailto:js.reynaud@xxxxxxxxx <mailto:js.reynaud@xxxxxxxxx>>> wrote:
>     >
>     >         Ok I'm starting to work to meet window 1).
>     >
>     >
>     >         2014-03-31 17:01 GMT+02:00 Dick Hollenbeck <dick@xxxxxxxxxxx
>     <mailto:dick@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>     >         <mailto:dick@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:dick@xxxxxxxxxxx>>>:
>     >
>     >             On 03/24/2014 10:19 AM, Jean-Samuel Reynaud wrote:
>     >             > Hi,
>     >             >
>     >             > I can help too on this project. Tell me if you need more help.
>     >
>     >
>     >
>     >             https://code.launchpad.net/~kicad-developers/kicad/prj-mgr
>     >
>     >             is still empty, so therefore I need help.
>     >
>     >
>     >             There are two windows of opportunity here, with a middle section where the
>     >             window is not open:
>     >
>     >
>     >             1) Now, before I get to milestone C)
>     >
>     >
>     >             2) Me doing milestone C), where collisions of effort are so likely its most
>     >             sensible to
>     >             consider python contributions in this time un-helpful.  Plus I don't
>     know what
>     >             I'll have
>     >             to work with at this point.  And I won't be waiting for it.
>     >
>     >
>     >             3) After the C++ layer and framework are in place, then collisions of effort
>     >             will not
>     >             concern me, the python project manager can and should be expanded into a
>     number of
>     >             directions, and I don't expect to play a role in that.
>     >
>     >
>     >             I want to be clear about these two windows of opportunity, 1) & 3), and the
>     >             approximate
>     >             timing, at least the sequencing.
>     >
>     >             The contributions that I would value most are in the window described by 1).
>     >
>     >
>     >
>     >
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>     >
>     > --
>     > Dileep Kumar
>     > M.Tech(VLSI Design)
>     > Mob:9891455965
> 
>